


Heirloom

by bennijie



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Action, Action/Adventure, Angst, Developing Friendships, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Kingsglaive Prompto Argentum, Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV (2016), Original Character(s), Pre-Final Fantasy XV, Pre-Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV, Slow Burn, Swearing, hope this goes well, traning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-13
Updated: 2019-06-15
Packaged: 2019-11-16 14:58:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18096572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bennijie/pseuds/bennijie
Summary: "You try your hardest to leave the past aloneThis crooked posture is all you’ve ever knownIt is the consequence of living in betweenThe weight of family and the pull of gravity" - Heirloom, Sleeping at LastIla was more than what she was meant to be and do when she was older, she knew that, King Regis and those who knew of her title knew that. But, sometimes she thought otherwise. Maybe she was just a pawn after all.





	1. No Roots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just an intro

_Faster, climb faster._

Legs burning from the rope making bare contact with her skin, sweat dripping from the nape of her neck and down her spine. She wasn’t afraid to look down below her and fear the proposition of falling

 _‘Faster.’_ She kept telling herself, like a mantra or a song she had stuck in her head as she continued the same fluid motion of climbing.

Her hands shook with every grab, legs wrapped around the long worn-down rope that scratched her with every movement.

“Sitala” a few feet below, was a man she’d come to known. Clean cut well-presented and stern with the new kids wanting to make it into the glaive, there were legends about this man. “Take a water break” he orders from below.

She swallows and nods “Yes sir” her lips shudder and she begin to slide softly and safely down the rope to the ground, happy to have two feet on the ground where she could safely collapse onto one of the side benches and nurse a cold bottle of water that mixed with her sweaty hands.

“That was a lot better than last week” he commends, standing in front of her. She drinks and doesn’t look him in the eyes, slouching over. “But you have to be faster and make no mistakes”

She held her tongue.

“Other than that, good job today”

At least he was being honest. She smirked.

“Thank you, sir,” she says, tucking a strand of pitch-black hair behind her ear “It’s good to hear that”

He pauses for a moment, like he has something else to say but doesn’t know how, she looks up and upon immediate eye contact he snaps from his thinking and says rather robotically.

“You’re dismissed. Be up early tomorrow, you’ll be training with the new glaives”

With a swift movement the young teen forces herself to her feet, only getting a little dizzy as she reaches for her black and white gym bag.

“Ila”

Oh god he used her first name.

He clears his throat “I heard you got caught up in a fight at your school”

Ila felt a wave of dread over her, of course he knew. He was meant to know everything she did after all, her school behaviour for one. Being disciplined on her grades were one thing but getting caught after retaliating to a punch in a fight at school was another.

His eyebrows pinch together, and his tone becomes harsher “Don’t make a habit of it.”

She held the urge to say a witty remark back to him. But she stayed silent.

“Yes” she breathes “I won’t do it again, Marshal”

Without another word, she walks out of the large gym and into the changing rooms to change back into her school uniform from her dirty gym outfit and left without showering and began to walk past the courtyards and out of the training grounds and onto the city street with ear buds in her ear and made her way back towards her house in a residential area. It was small, crammed in among the other homes along the streets, it was built around the time when the shield above, protecting everyone was finally being noticed about shrinking in size and the sudden increase in refugees and people who wanted to remain within the walls, which created a small housing crisis that didn’t last for long and also created these small houses.

There was nothing wrong with them really, Ila liked the small space to call her own. It’s even better since she lives alone, therefore she has a lot more space to herself and doesn’t have to wait for the other person to use the shower in the morning.

Since she’s a minor living on her own (because of some persuading) she’s mainly given a budget due to her lineage and future service to the crown. She’s even developed an art to stay within the parameters of when it comes to paying for food, water and electricity. Even if the budget is basically just saying _‘don’t leave the lights on all the time’_. She mainly uses the budget to buy food since she’s pretty cost effective as it is which leaves a small amount left over for her own means, like buying lunch or saving up for a new microwave.

Gods, she needed a new microwave, the one she has now smells like badly burnt popcorn.

She paid no attention to the hustle and bustle of the city, everyone in a rush to get home if they hadn’t already, the sun had almost set, sending a cool temperature across insomnia. School hours had ended a little to a few hours ago and yet there were students still walking around, either at cafes or shops talking to each other.

She tried not to think about it.

It was a 20-minute train ride from the centre of Insomnia to the residential area where she lived. Not favouring walking around in the dark alone, she decided to take the train. At the next stop, she gave her seat to a woman and her baby that was strapped to her chest.

The next was a 5-minute walk to her place, following the pipes and water in the drain to get to her townhouse, with plants on the ground level and not much up top, it was a little shabby, but it was home.

Inserting the key into the two story home walking up the flight of stairs to her apartment, the room below her was inhabited to a nice old man and his cat. The man worked as a taxidermist and through his years working in that profession, has met many different people and would often retell stories of those he’s met.

_“Oh, my dear Ila, the strangest thing happened today”_

She looked forward to the both of them meeting every day.

When she entered her flat, she took a much-needed shower, had chicken cup noodles for dinner and sat in front of the small TV while chowing down and deciding last minute to paint her fingernails with a black nail polish, the smell fumed the small apartment and regrettably, wasn’t the best idea. She didn’t know why she wanted to do it, it was just a sudden urge and she hated herself for it.

With the day coming to an end, she opted for bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No Roots - Alice Merton  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48b0nhULavY
> 
> wanna find me?
> 
> linktr.ee/benni.jie


	2. Human

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ila contemplated friendships

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM SORRY IM REALLY SLOW AT THIS I DONT KNOW HOW TO WRITE SOMETHING THIS BIG THAT I WANNA MAKE CONTINUOUS HELP

There was talk going around the school, and for once, it was good news.

It was the school’s winter formal and this year, it was Ila’s year’s turn to go to it.

As soon as it was announced at the weekly Monday morning assembly to inform the students about things happening around the school and anything else they should know about. There was to be a committee to organise and decide on a theme as well as choosing a venue to hold it. Excitement on what dresses the girls should wear and nervousness from the boys about getting ball dates were two things the masses both got worked up over.

Ila, however, couldn’t care less.

Don’t get her wrong, she was friends with everyone the class, getting invited out to different places for different events or parties held by her peers. But, they were usually short spurts and she never really stuck around the friendship groups and generally drifted between them all or was just alone.

Students had been known to go on their own in the past if they really wanted to go, but Ila knew she’d be going alone, and would feel weird the entire time sitting at a table with a group of people who didn’t really talk to her or want anything to do with her.

There was no doubt Cor would try to convince her to go with Prince Noctis.

Although they had never formally met, she had an allegiance to the crown and soon, a duty to fulfil to protect the Caelum line. She went to the same primary school as him half way through once those within the citadel (mainly the council) got wind that a child from the Sitala blood line was still alive, she was promptly switched to his school in an effort to try and get the girl to understand her heritage.

She grew to almost hate him, even though she knew him most of her life.

Ila bit her lip and tried to not focus on the terrible feeling in her chest, like a tangle of different kinds of string all pulling in different directions.

She put pen to paper to answer a math question on her page.

He was sat down a few desks beside her in a different row right next to the window, in front of him was a friend he made a few years back, Prompto. She wasn’t gonna lie, she was going to do some digging when she first started seeing them together in high school but stopped herself before she could search anything up. He seemed like a good person anyway.

Sometimes she felt bad for not telling the Prince about who she was, even if it was just a quick _‘hey I’m going to be in the Crownsguard just so you know’_ wouldn’t hurt much. Maybe she could do it after school, since she had training then and it might seem a bit more formal to introduce herself that way.

Maybe.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> human - dodie clark  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PvgXauGn9U


	3. Sunflower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sunflower - rex orange country

Kingsglaive training was rough.

It was meant to be rough, to toughen people up and weed out the ones who thought this would be an easy task with good pay and no troubles at all. It wasn’t really, it was brutal.

They were relentless, and by ‘they’ she meant Cor and Titus. Those two ran this entire show, the two of them would organise the first 7 week of hell, Sundays being the only break, the first week is testing out what everyone has, recognising their own strengths and weaknesses and give feedback for improvement and weed out the ones who aren’t qualified for the job which causes 2 or 3 to drop out.

Week 2-6 is merciless training, running routes around the city every morning at an ungodly hour, the climbing ropes, weapon handling and combat. They mainly do it to get it the new recruits into a routine similar to those in the glaive and a small taste of their life.

Week 7 is practical assessment. They’re graded on their skills and area of expertise, strength, durability and a chance to properly show what you’ve made of. Every day is a different test with a certain standard to meet and are very strict on that cut, if you’re a digit below the standard in one area, they will allow you to retake that area.

You’re also invited to challenge Cor the immortal.

There have been stories of near death, which is false because phoenix downs and potions are on site so jot that one down.

Ila joined late week one on a Wednesday because of her pathway. Today was a Monday afternoon and the 2nd week of the program.

Now, Ila was standing in a line with several other recruits, hands folded neatly in front of her in plain black attire, black leggings, black sleeveless top and hair tied back into a braid on her head. She kept a professional look on her face, stern and stoic. She was one of the shortest there but of same statue to few other women that were there.

“Sitala”

She stood up straighter. “Sir”

“Mat” Titus’ head gestures to the blue training mat in front of them.

“Yes sir”

In long strides to moves towards the blue mat and stands up straight. She faces the small crowd of 20 odd teenagers, they used to have 28.

“You’ll be partnered with Argentum”

She recognised him.

A classmate, same homeroom and the two of them have art class together. They didn’t talk much other than the passing comment on something or a ‘hey’ in between classes, but other than that it wasn’t much.

“Uh hey” he says in a whisper standing beside her in front of the class, looking a little excited and nervous at the same time.

“Hey yourself” she smirks

“If you two are finished” says Cor “You all will be paired in two like these two. They will be your partner for demonstrations and any practice that requires two people. You will be paired based on the first week’s records and results. Get to know each other because you’ll be partners for a while. One the odd occasion your partner will be temporarily switched out with another, for example your practical, you may or may not have your partner.”

Titus looks down at the sheet of paper with the rest of the classmate’s names.

“Argentum, Sitala you are dismissed”

They look at each other.

He smiles, face red.

And she smiles back.

* * *

 

“Hey”

Prompto stopped her just outside the boundaries of the training centre, if she didn’t know any better, she’d say that he was waiting.

“I uh, didn’t catch your name earlier, but it’s Ila right? Please tell me I’m right”

She nods. “Yeah, that’s me”

“Great, I’m Prompto” he says cheerfully

She folds her arms and adjusts her bag strap hanging over her shoulder “I know” she replies “We have some classes together”

His face is blank for a second, lit only by the sunset “Oh yeah” he shifts his stance “Which way are you going?”

She points down the street. “That way. I was in a rush, so my bike is down there”

“Oh” he replies, “I’m going the same way actually, can I walk with you?”

Ila blinks “Uh, sure” she says and the two of them start walking towards the parking pays a few streets down.

Prompto takes out his phone and passes it to her. “Can I have number? So, you know, we can get to know each other more” he asks, Ila heard a crack in his voice. She politely takes it and puts her number in.

“Why do you wanna join the glaive? she asks “To be honest, I didn’t think you’d make it past the first week” she asks handing back the phone

“I’m doing it for Noct” he replies, she looks at him. “I mean, for Noctis. Since I’m his friend and I want to help him out and stuff”

Ila knew of their friendship, Noctis in primary school was pretty drawn from his classmates and quiet as a mouse. So when you get to high school and he suddenly has a best friend out of the blue, rumours start and there’s drama in his fan club.

“Cool” she says “most people do it for the pay”

His head slightly tilts to the side “Are you?” he asks

“No” she says “I kind of have no choice”

“No choice?” he asks, surprised “You don’t want to do this?”

“Not really” she admits “If it were up to me, I’d be out of Insomnia”

Prompto goes quiet. “oh”

Ila feels a singe of guilt in her chest. “It’s not all bad”

Prompto nervously laughs “I bet”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kinda thinking of renaming it 'two time' but im on the eh edge bc the song is heavily related to Ila and aksjdhflkahsd
> 
> also been a while.


	4. Stop - Stay calm, think, observe and plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ila and Prompto climb a cliff face and learn that they're alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this took sooooo loooooong. i have short bursts of writing energy and i either write it or not soooo.

“You alright there Prompto?”

Ila held onto the cliff face with a tight grip with her sore and aching fingers. She looked below her shoulder to see Prompto still climbing, a little bit below her feet to the side with a red face from the heat of Leide. He adjusts his awkward stance on the cliff face and looks up at her, catching his breath for a moment as an uneasy smile spreads across his face.

“I’m fine” he replies through his pants “Just not a fan of heights”

Ila lets out a puff through her nose and gets herself comfortable. She wasn’t upset he was behind her, after all she’s done this before and this is his first time. “I’ll wait for you”

He shakes his head “No, it’s fine” Prompto pushes up with his left leg to the next groove above him and pulls himself up. “you can go on without me, I’m right behind you”

Ila roles her eyes and let’s go of the edge with her left hand and holds it down. “I’ll pull you up a bit, give you a break”

Prompto blinks and nervously releases his right hand and reaches up towards her.

“Keep your footing” she says “Lean more towards the wall because you can slip a bit and fall”

“Don’t remind me” he jokes, now almost eye level with her. “I just need a min-“

Prompto’s sentence was cut short as a cry for help could be briefly heard from the side of them. A body falls a few metres next to them and collides with the stone wall with a loud thud and cry in pain. The body dangles, conscious and sitting up right with his feet still on the cliff face trying to steady himself, holding his wrist.

“You alright?” his partner from above asks

“My hand” he replies with a hiss.

A voice from above enters the conversation. Drautos was a top the cliff face looking down at them, with an unmoving expression, he didn’t climb the cliff face and instead watched over the group. Here comes a lecture, instead of actually helping the poor kid.

“A fellow comrade” he begins, gesturing to the young man “Has lost his grip and fallen from the cliff face, but thanks to the harness, he didn’t fall far and instead collided with the wall. What do you do?”

“Can you flex your fingers?” asks a woman from below.

“A- a little” he replies “I’m okay, I can still flex them, it just hurts”

“Stay calm” calls Ila from beside him with gentle eyes gazing over the young man “I’ll swing over and take a look at that hand” he nods nervously

“Sitala, no” before she could even start to swing, Drautos’ strong voice reaches their ears in a commanding tone. She glares at him “This is a lesson for him. Remember the ‘STOP’ acronym? Stay calm, think, observe and plan”

Ila returned her hand to where it was before she helped Prompto on the cliff face. He wasn’t panting anymore and instead he watched their classmate closely. There was pain on his face, she knew he felt bad. It could have also been fear, it could have been him as well.

“I can’t climb because of my hand” he calls back to him “I need help”

They don’t hear him sigh. “On the field there is no cavalry, no help is coming for you, you have to get help yourself. No one is to help him reach the top, including your partner, continue”

Prompto and Ila exchange a look of concern. Through painful groans, he eventually finds his footing again, even using his injured hand and begins to painfully climb. Prompto begins to climb before Ila does again, and this time she keeps a closer eye on Prompto and where he places his body when they climb, making sure to stay a little below him in case he too slips.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t handle himself, Ila knew he could handle himself quite well. But he wasn’t as strong as the others when it came to strength and she had to, no she _needed_ to look out for him.

Reaching the top, she spies her classmate receiving help from a girl who was his partner, looking at what she heard was a sprain and attending to it accordingly. Seeing that everything was right with the world again, she went to check on Prompto who was releasing himself from the harness and putting his gear away in the crates.

“I knew training was brutal, but not _that_ brutal” he comments, opening the crate and placing his harness inside before removing his helmet. “waking up at 5am on a Saturday to come into the desert where it’s cold and then really hot to climb cliffs and hike is not my idea of a Saturday morning”

“It gets worse” Ila says casually unclipping her helmet

Prompto groans, clearly irritated. “really?” he asks “I can’t tell if you’re joking”

Ila lets out a huff “unfortunately so. We still gotta walk back to Insomnia”

Prompto’s face goes blank “You’re kidding”

“Unfortunately, not”

* * *

 

They got back to the training at around lunch time at noon. After having to be forced to carry heavy backpacks for 3 hours on the group’s back and only stop twice, everyone was exhausted. Even Ila, who had done this more than once. Poor Prompto, bless his heart, was lying on the blue training mats with the guy called Marius who slipped earlier that morning, refused to get up.

“Prompto get up. You’ve got a 3-hour time gap before the next session”

“No.” Prompto says “I wanna take a nap”

The young man beside him groaned “Please let us sleep Ila”

“Guys, there’s another session in here in 10 minutes you have to get up”

With a groan. Marius finally gives in and rolls lamely onto his side and uses his other arm to prop himself up, grab his bag and with a loud grumble stomped out the room.

“I’m gonna take a nap” Prompto says “I’m going to take a nap right here”

Ila sighs, not wanting to deal with this “Alright, you take a nap then”

“Good night” he says waves in her general direction and closes his eyes.

_Oh gods._


End file.
